Best Aftershokz Headphones
Aftershokz Sportz Titanium Open Ear
You might be wanted to get immersed in the music but do you really want to cut-off the connection from the world around you. Aftershokz doesn’t think so, this is the reason they have produced their athlete-focused Titanium open-ear sports headphones.
As these headphones make use of bone conduction technology you might have to suffer from bass, this technology sends vibrations from low-frequency sound into the cheekbones of the listener to cochlea towards the inner ear, doesn’t have to go through the eardrum.
This impressive design of AfterShokz Titanium brings two bone conduction transducers sitting just to the side of ears except for the ear canal like earcup-style headphones which tend to send the sound externally, except that these headphones don’t have foam or covering which might interfere the ambient sounds. There is a pause button available on one side of the speaker with which you can stop the music without wearing them off.
This 36 Gram headphone is lightweight and good sport-centric headphone but the band might cause some issue. The band is loose and had to position it further back on the head to align it perfectly. Doing the gym might displace it from the original position.
That said, AfterShokz Titanium is crafted carefully, with the positioning of the transducers spot-on, they can be fit easily on the jawbone. You have to option to select either black-grey/blue/green/pink colour of these headphones.
Performance
AfterShokz Titanium is primarily designed for running outdoors, gym and jogs. People do praise it and say against it but for most of the time, it’s perfectly acceptable. They perform best in the quiet environment, and actually rather exciting to use around an office while listening to the chatter along with the music.
Though the sound quality won’t be equal to those regular pairs of headphones. The major problem is bass. It’s not because they don’t have low-frequency sound but it’s felt more than hears, it reverberates through your jawbones. It might sound weird but it is, if surprisingly easy to get used to.
Whereas, if you increase the volume to a certain point then the vibrations will be increased because they seem to dominate and these headphones are not able to go that loud.
PROS
- Lightweight and flexible
- Best for gym and office
CONS
- Excessive vibrations
- Short battery life
- Loose neck-strap
AfterShokz Trekz Air headphones
Isolation is not a good thing when you are on the road because you need to be aware of both worlds. But it’s not true in all scenarios while you are working in the gym you should immerse yourself by blocking-out ambient noise. But if you run in an urban environment or driving through bus streets then you really need to hear those cards and the people around you in case you won’t end up in a collision.
These open-ear sports headphones by Trekz Air not only gives noise isolation but with intrusive earbuds together. Majority of the manufacturers persist with technology that stresses noise isolation and cancellation, this open-ear headphone by AfterShokz has changed the trend by offering a bone conduction technology.
The Trekz Air wireless headphones pair can be easily wrapped around the back of your neck,the manufacturer claims that the headphones don’t compromise on the bass.For the price, they are not that expensive and nor inexpensive so the affordable price can be spent by budget people.
Design
The first thing you need to be clear about this pair of headphones is that these are speakers, not the earphones at all. The manufacturer calls this OpenFit and despite them allowing you to hear the world around you, the bone conduction transducers in this headphones come with a safety option of the mute button. You can mute the volume by pressing the button on the left-hand side and cross the busy road comfortably.
Trekz Air is strong and flexible, you can call them head-back buds rather than neckbands. These headphones can be twisted and tugged to a certain amount easily because of the use of titanium in their design. Which generally means you can wear them around the neck, shove into pocked or balanced on a hook.
While doing a gym workout doesn’t worry about the sweats these are waterproof too. Trekz Air weighs about 30g which is the most lightweight pair of headphones. Similarly, the soft silicon covering together with electronics positioning carefully states that Trekz Air tends to stay in one place.
The clever design allows the Trekz Air to stay balanced and subtle on the jawbone. You can also make hands-free of Trekz Air. Similarly, the speakers are equipped with noise cancelling microphones to which decreases the ambient noise and allows you to make calls with a clear voice as possible.
Though it’s lightweight on the other hand, this leads towards a short battery life, that said six hours of battery life is not that less but it should be improved to decrease the worry of getting it charged again and again.
Overall, the Trekz Air delivers decent sound quality as blocking all external sounds. They have a great fit, steady and stable design and while running wearing these headphones these won’t get moved easily. Whereas the limited noise might not isolate you from the loud external sound of the environment and the overall sound quality is not up there with regular headphones. Battery life is also short but it’s due to the design of these headphones to make them lightweight and easy to carry along.
PROS
- Lightweight and Flexible
- Comfortable and stable fit
- Exacting design
CONS
- Volume is low
- Sound quality should be improved
- Battery life is short
Aftershokz AS500 Bluez 2 Open Ear Wireless Headphones
Aftershokz did another great contribution to the strange science of bone conduction headphones by manufacturing the BluEz Bluetooth headset. You might know that the bone conduction technology transfers the sound to the inner ear by sending vibrations through the bone in front of the ear rather than sending the sound directly through the outer ear.
AfterShokz BluEZ is an ideal device for those having an active lifestyle. This pair of headphones allows the users to listen to the music clearly while out and about, similarly allows them to listen to the ambient sounds around the world.
BluEZ comes with a limited number of accessories. You might find a zippered hard shell which is carrying a black case. The black case includes the glossy headset along with a small USB to mini USB cable, instructional manual and a flexible rubber strap.
The blue features two small arms that curve over the top of the ear so that they can easily rest on it. It’s lightweight enough that you will forget you are wearing them. The sound is transferred through the rubberized pad on the interior which sends vibrations through the skull. A sliver button on the exterior of each arm allows you to play and pause the music whenever you want as well as allows answering terminating phone calls.
A small collection of controls is also available on the back of headphones which includes mini-USB port for charging the built-in battery, dual button volume/search control.
The BluEZ headphones is easy to wear for two to three hours, though the fit is comfortable after this much time it starts to cause vibration the irritation.
Performance
The BluEZ delivers an accurate and clear sound signature of midrange. The frequency of 1-4 KHz is expected from this pair of headphones. The weak point of this headset is bass. Low frequencies are sharply cut off at around 200Hz, which makes the hip-hop music sound weak.
The Bluetooth connection makes it the stronger headset for the money, can easily maintain a perfect connection for a 33-foot operating range with your iPhone 5 or any Smartphone compatible with 2.0 port.
The AfterShokz BluEZ does the perfect job of delivering great audio to their listeners without removing them to listen to the outer world. Though they cannot replace standard wireless headphones with these headphones, it’s hard to overestimate the importance of dual awareness while skiing, biking and running.
PROS
- Flexible and comfortable
- Wide stereo effect
- Clear, accurate tone
- Great Bluetooth connectivity
CONS
- Poor bass reproduction
- Lack accessories
AfterShokz Aeropex
AfterShokz dominates the bone-conduction market, and it has come out on top with its newest model, the Aeropex ($160). The new PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology delivers a higher quality sound than other products. This is paired with a new angle on the transducers, creating the potential for louder volume with less vibration.
One of the biggest complaints about bone-conduction headphones is the vibration. Louder volumes can produce an uncomfortable tingling on your cheekbones in other models. So, we were excited to see this addressed with the Aeropex.
The Aeropex weighs just 26 g, and it has an impressive 8-hour battery life and a fully waterproof design. It takes about 2 hours to reach a full charge. These headphones are sweatproof and waterproof, but they’re not meant for swimming. If you’re looking for a fully submersible option, read on.
PROS
- Lightweight
- Long battery life
- Waterproof
CONS
- Expensive
- Vibration at high volumes
AfterShokz Xtrainerz
These wireless bone-conduction headphones allow for complete comfort while swimming. With the AfterShokz Xtrainerz ($150), you can bring 4 GB of sound into the lap pool. This combination MP3/wireless headphone set removes the limits of Bluetooth ranges by storing your music directly.
They have an 8-hour battery life. And with a waterproof rating of IP68, the Xtrainerz will have you coming up for air long before being submerged at 2 m for 2 hours. The tight titanium band around the head ensures a snug fit, so you won’t be diving to the bottom of the deep end to retrieve this pair.
We recommend pairing these with earplugs, which creates a clearer sound by removing the sound of water rushing through your ears.
PROS
- Virtually waterproof
- Long battery life
- Highly durable
CONS
- Heavy build
- Only internal storage
How Do Bone-Conduction Headphones Work?
Bone-conduction headphones take advantage of the fact that sound is simply vibrations and direct those into the bones in your head.
These headphones use plates that sit against the cheekbones to deliver sound vibrations through the jaw and skull bone directly into the cochlea. They leave the ear canal open, which allows outside sound to still get in.
Unlike traditional headphones, bone-conduction headphones allow the user to hear what’s happening in their surroundings. This makes this style of headphones a great choice for outside activities where hearing oncoming cars or bikes can save lives. They’re also a great option for underwater swimming or for people with in-ear hearing aids.
Can Bone-Conduction Headphones Cause Hearing Loss?
Unfortunately, any type of headphone will lead to hearing loss if they are used at an irresponsible volume. Bone-conduction headphones still vibrate the cochlea and can damage it just as much as traditional headphones can.
Are Bone-Conduction Headphones Any Good?
Bone-conduction headphones will not deliver the same quality audio as in-ear headphones. For the sharpest, loudest audio quality, headphones or earbuds are better.
But, bone-conduction headphones are good. They provide a lot of options to still listen to music without sacrificing your situational awareness. And this is extremely valuable while hiking, biking, or even working from home.